Beijing belly, way to beat the heat

While touring the Forbidden City one day in early July, I was fascinated by the intricate architecture, the enormity of the complex, and the vast history of the palace. But, another thing that grabbed my attention was the heat. With the temperature rising to a sweltering 36 C, I was spending the day directly in the open sun.

As I stood in the middle of a courtyard, I could not help but admire how hot Beijing actually was. I felt as if my rubber flip flops were melting onto my feet, my blonde hair was a blazing mass of flames, and my skin was being cooked in the sunlight.

I looked around, trying to understand how people were not passing out from heat exhaustion, and quickly found my answer. Standing in front of me was a man with his shirt rolled up, trying to cool off by exposing his big, round belly.

I quickly realized that this semi-naked man had exactly the right idea. In fact, his was not the only bare belly I'd see in the Forbidden City or along Beijing streets.

I decided to take a pointer from these men known as "bang-ye" (Mr Bare Arms) around the city. I lifted my T-shirt up, and exposed my belly - no worries, I was wearing a tank top underneath. With one layer of clothing off, I attempted to stay somewhat cooler.

Although being stared at for the rest of the day, I was considerably more comfortable. This seems to be another hot summer and I'm just one of those from all over the Northern Hemisphere resorting to various means to fight the heat.

Confined within the walls of the Forbidden City, I started to pick up on how everyone else seemed to stay cool.

Peach popsicles, in the hands of almost every single child, became a necessity, as long as you could eat the sweet treat before it liquefied. Water bottles were also essential and were sold everywhere. Looking out over the courtyard area, a sea of umbrellas formed. I later found out that umbrella makers claim that they've painted the surface with a layer of special material to fend off ultraviolet rays. In China, remaining pale seems to have more importance than getting a suntan.

When my friend felt certain she would have a heat stroke, we found a small museum within the City. Artifacts such as linens and jewelry were more interesting than the enormous, tree-bare squares between the palaces. More pleasant was the cool air that prepared us for another round of heat.

My day continued into the tourist hot-spot Nanluoguxiang, a hutong featuring shaded alleyways. At nearly every outdoor caf, bubble teas were being made, clouded by a haze of dry ice. Two boys sat a table cooling off with five yogurt-drink treats. Travelers lined up to buy ice-cold mojitos and groups of local men, shirts off of course, played checkers under the trees.

Spending part of the day in the hutong proved to be a smart move. We were out of the sun, comfortable, and still surrounded by 800-year-old culture.

Finding shady nooks of history - such as Nanluoguxiang - are beneficial compared to spending the day in hot, open courtyards and palaces.

While I may not adopt the bare-bellied men style, I will pass those bare-bellied men with respect and the knowledge that everyone is simply trying to stay cool and I will tour the rest of Beijing with the weather in mind.

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